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Complete James Horner soundtrack soars on 2-CD set! One of Horner’s most popular scores, one he was particularly fond of, lands with more than 20 minutes of previously unreleased score! Walt Disney Pictures presents, Joe Johnston directs, Bill Campbell, Alan Arkin, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Sorvino, Timothy Dalton star. 1938. Nazi’s on the rise. All-American pilot Cliff Secord finds jetpack, suddenly becomes crimefighting hero The Rocketeer. Jenny Blake is his sweetheart, Neville Sinclair his evil nemesis, Peevy his mentor. All become embroiled in rip-roaring heroics and dazzling derring-do. Flying high alongside them is incredibly rousing, tuneful James Horner score. Primary theme for Cliff’s aerial exploits and dashing rescues anchors the action, dark low brass motif for Sinclair provides edged contrast. Gorgeous love theme also has its say, especially in richly developed treatment Horner recorded especially for the album. Even a couple of big-band standards in fresh arrangements made by legendary Billy May (Horner was particularly fond of 30’s and 40’s-era swing music) appear in both picture and album. Orchestral spotlight goes to “The Flying Circus”, an exciting tour-de-force for orchestra. Trumpets get a sizzling workout! Supercharged action also rears with “South Seas Send Up” (titled “Jenny’s Rescue” on the 1991 album) plus lengthy action finale, “The Zeppelin”. New cues include important early sequences “The Gizmo”, “Finding The Rocket”. Other new highlights: “Testing The Rocket”, “The Laughing Bandit”, “Lothar Gets Wilmer”. CD 1 (and part of CD 2) features everything Horner recorded for the film, including all scoring cues intact and uncut plus both big-band arrangements. Horner was fond of his 1991 album presentation, featuring his favorite highlights, often with unique edits, special takes and album remixes. Intrada happily keeps that album intact on CD 2. For this important presentation, Intrada was given access to the complete Sony 3348 format 48-track session masters vaulted by Disney in pristine condition and mixed to two-track digital stereo by Shawn Murphy. 20-page booklet with profuse color stills, text by Tim Greiving plus “flipper-style” cover designed by Joe Sikoryak adds touch of art-deco elegance to rewarding project. Fun tidbit: Horner was one of the very few composers who actually scored full end titles rather than leave them to music editors to “cut and paste” from existing cues. Typically he concluded them on exquisite, pianissimo chords for strings. The Rocketeer end credits instead climax in spectacular fashion with a resounding fortissimo coda for full orchestra. Bravo Maestro! John Neufeld, Elliot Kaplan, Billy May, Conrad Pope orchestrate, James Horner composes, conducts. Intrada Special Collection 2-CD set available while quantities and interest remain!